Margaret Pfaffenberger Bush

Margaret Pfaffenberger was born in
Pennsylvania in 1840.2The eighth
child and second daughter of Andrew and Catharine, Margaret's earliest memories would have
been of the Chestnut Ridge farm her father purchased in late 1842.Margaret grew up in the 1840's and 1850's.She would have been instructed in "women's
work" by her mother and sister Elizabeth.Besides her brother Joseph, other childhood playmates likely included
Hardin McCrary, Ann E. Cox, and Sarah and Nancy Love.2

By the time she reached adulthood
she had seen her sister and all but one brother leave home and start families, and the
loss of two sister-in-laws.Before she
married she had lost her closest brother to the civil war.

On October 1, 1863, Margaret
married Fredrick Bush, a 27 year old German born farmer.Before a third of a year would pass, Margaret lost her mother Catharine.1The next year, 1865, was joyous for Fredrick and
Margaret.Their first child, Anne C., was
born.131On August 8, of that same
year, they bought a 40 acre parcel from Andrew for $400 (the same parcel George purchased
in 1850 and sold to Andrew in 1853).

The Bushs second child, William,
arrived in 1866.121Fredrick and
Margaret probably were

living with Andrew on the farm at this time.When Andrew remarried on June 19, 1868, he moved
to Rockford.Fredrick and Margaret remained
at Andrew's house and farmed the ground.

Fredrick and Margaret closed out
the 1860's with the birth of their second son, Ulysses H. Bush, in 1869.When U.S. census reached the Bush residence in the
summer of 1870, it found Fredrick's 68 year old father in addition to the aforementioned
family.131

By 1874 Fredrick was ready to move on
to another line of work.Fredrick, purchased
the "Old Reasson Flour Mill."Probably
simultaneous with Fredrick's decision to change, Andrew sold his remaining farm property
to James K. Green.

Although the exact dates are uncertain,
Fredrick purchased the Old Reasson Custom Flour Mill, which included property both in
Jackson and Scott Counties.Fredrick's
property, which was situated one mile south and 1.5 miles east of the center
Crothersville, contained about 120 acres, most of which was in Scott County.65

On September 15, 1875, the Bush's third
son George was born.A year later a fourth
son, Fredrick H., came into the world.91

In late spring or early summer of
1877, Fredrick died. (at the age of 41)Shortly
after Fredrick's death, his brother, Henry, was appointed administrator of his estate.Unfortunately, Henry Bush died mid-year 1880, and
James McDonald was appointed to replace Henry Bush as administrator.65

John Pfaffenberger was appointed
the guardian of the Bush children on May 10, 1878.122John's death in May of 1880 created an unusual
circumstance for the Bush family.Both the
children's guardian and the administrator for Fredrick's affairs died within weeks of one
another.At John's death, Margaret and John's
brother George assumed the guardianship of the Bush children on February 3, 1882.132George continued his duties of guardian of the
Bush children until December 30, 1897.91

In 1881, administrator James
McDonald was apparently asked by Margaret to sell the Old Reasson Flour Mill.Court appointed appraisers Christopher Orr and
James Gillispie appraised the property at $2,000.However,
no bids were received and Gillispie purchased the land for ten cents on the dollar on
February 2, 1882.63

Research to date has not
determined where Margaret and her children lived after Fredrick's death.The 1880 U.S. Census did not locate her either in
Vernon Township or Washington Township.In
the 1886 to 1889 time frame Anna C. Bush married a Tormoehlen.69

This photo is either
William F. or George Bush

With
exception of William, it is uncertain where the Bush Children ultimately settled and who
their children were.William settled in
Seymour and became the proprietor of W. F. Bush Shoes, a shoe store located in
the original dry goods and shoe store that was originally started by John Pfaffenberger
and later operated by his son Wilbur.27, 145Margaret died on December 28, 1902, in Seymour.133